Life-long Durham friends are current foes

Ajax's Devin Shore, Pickering's Drake Caggiula leading their teams in OJHL final

Fury vs Panthers

Sabrina Byrnes / Metroland

WHITBY -- Devin Shore of the Whitby Fury will try to lead his team to a series comeback as they trail the best-of-seven OJHL final against the Stouffville Spirit 3-2 with Game 6 Friday in Whitby. April 2012

Drake Caggiula

Nick Iwanyshyn / Metroland

STOUFFVILLE-- Pickering's Drake Caggiula has been a key cog to the Stouffville Spirit playoff run. April 2012

DURHAM -- A life-long friendship between Devin Shore and Drake Caggiula has been put on hold over the past week.

That's not to suggest a wedge has been driven between the two young, dynamic hockey players, but rather it's an indication of the nature of things when two teams, and specifically two players in this case, go head-to-head in a playoff series.

And not just any playoff series as Shore's Whitby Fury and Caggiula's Stouffville Spirit are deep in a battle for league supremacy in the Ontario Junior Hockey League final.

So far through five games, the two NHL-ranked prospects for this summer's draft have lived up to the hype.

Caggiula's efforts were in full display Wednesday as he scored three times and assisted on another in a convincing 7-1 victory by the Spirit in Game 5, giving Stouffville a 3-2 series lead and leaving Whitby on the ropes.

Perhaps Friday's Game 6 will be Shore's time to shine in the same light. Held off the scoresheet Wednesday, Shore had six points in the first four games of the series and will no doubt be looking to mirror his buddy's efforts, while more importantly doing his part to keep the Fury playoff run alive and well.

Stats and individual performances aside, both Shore and Caggiula admit they've enjoyed going up against one another after so many years of suiting up on the same side.

"We've played since we were eight years old together, hockey and lacrosse," said Shore, an Ajax native with a scholarship to the University of Maine in his back pocket. "We've been best friends for a long time and we still are. We're really close and it's fun to play against him. We are both very competitive guys and it's good to go head-to-head."

Caggiula adds: "It's definitely different, but I am sure after this series we're going to share some laughs. It's definitely a fun experience though. Maybe once in a lifetime."

The pair's connection goes all the way back to minor hockey in Ajax-Pickering with the AAA Raiders' program. They played together there until Caggiula joined the Spirit last season and Shore played at the Hill Academy.

This year Shore signed on with the Fury and Caggiula headed south and joined Des Moines of the United States Hockey League. For yet another year it looked as though the two would avoid facing each other.

However a change in heart by Caggiula saw him depart Des Moines not long after the season started and land back with the Spirit.

Now he is in a spot that just a few months ago he never expected.

"I never thought I would be back here and then I never thought we would be in the finals, but I am glad I am here and it's turned out to be the right choice to come back," said Caggiula, who has committed to the University of North Dakota on scholarship. "I've learned a lot and been able to grow as a player and a person. It's been great."

And now he is one win away from helping his club to a Buckland Cup championship and a shot at the Dudley Hewitt Cup next week in Thunder Bay.

Either way, whether Caggiula and the Spirit close things out and advance or Shore and the Fury mount a comeback, win the next two and book their trip north, the two pals will go back to life as they knew once the series finishes.

"We talked before, wished each other the best of luck and we'll leave it all out on the ice," Shore said.

If necessary, Game 7 of the series will be played Saturday night in Stouffville. The winner of the series will open up play at the Dudley Hewitt on Tuesday.